Lehane achieves cherished ambition and qualifies for Paris 2024
Ashbourne teacher and boxer Jenny Lehane has achieved a cherished ambition she set herself two years ago and qualified for the Olympic Games.
Lehane has made the grade by winning the women's 54kg (bantamweight) quarter-finals against Hanna Lakotar of Hungary at the Paris 2024 Olympic Boxing Qualification Tournament at Hua Mak Indoor Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand earlier today.
Understandably Lehane was very emotional after overcoming so many obstacles to get to the Olympics. In her opening round in Bangkok, Lehane had defeated Angelyris Lopez from Puerto Rico 4-1.
Qualification for Paris was truly a magic, sweet moment for the 25-year-old Meath woman who qualified for the Olympics along with another Irish boxer Grainne Walsh from near Tullamore.
She has battled against a string of hand injuries in recent times but she kept working on her dream. The 28-year-old, who boxes out of the St Mary's club in Tallaght, defeated Armenian Ari Hovesepyan to secure her ticket to Paris.
Five of the Irish boxing team going for Paris are females and Lehane was one of those inspired by Katie Taylor claiming gold at the Olympics in London 12 years ago now.
Two years ago Lehane left her teaching post in St Mary's National School in Ashbourne to pursue her dream of qualifying to box for Ireland at the Olympics. Now she has achieved that ambition.
Lehane's background is immersed in martial arts particularly taekwondo.
She became very good at the sport and competed in international tournaments at 15 and became a senior European Champion in 2018 and 2019. She won silver at the Junior World Championships and bronze in the seniors.
It was while she was at student at DCU she took up boxing seriously and set herself the target of qualifying for the Olympics.
The Meath woman is one of eight in her family and took the brave decision two years ago to give up her job and devote herself full-time to boxing and qualifying for the Olympics. The laser-like commitment has paid off.
Two years in an interview with the Meath Chronicle Lehane said: "I'm going to follow this Olympic dream and try and turn it into reality."
Against Lakotar in Bangkog, Lehane didn't waste any time in asserting herself. Boxing from a southpaw stance she picked off her opponent who kept moving forward but had no answer to the young Ashbourne woman's range of punches and swiftness of delivery.
Now the dream of taking part in the Olympics beckons for Lehane and after she savours this moment she will start to prepare for the Games in Paris.
No doubt she will utilise all the dedication, focus and skill she has employed so far in her boxing career to get ready to ensure that when she steps into the ring in Paris she will be ready.
Ready to take part in the big time, the biggest sporting extravaganza of them all - the Olympics.